By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

VACHERIE – Ordinances to issue bonds for a petroleum storage facility project, set precincts and the request for a special election for the renewal of millages were all approved recently by the St. James Parish Council.

The council unanimously approved the issuance and sale of up to $75 million in GO Zone bonds for construction of an expansion to the NuStar Logistics petroleum tank farm facility in the west bank community of St. James. The planned expansion project will double the size of the tank farm from 4.8 million barrel capacity to about 9 million barrel capacity, adding 24 tanks of various sizes to the facility’s footprint.

Parish spokesperson Melissa Wilkins said the request for GO Zone bonds is the fourth by NuStar since developing the two-phase expansion project.

The precinct ordinance comes on the heels of approval of the parish’s reapportionment plan last month. The ordinance sets the 18 precincts and polling places for the parish’s seven council districts. The council voted 6-1 in favor of the ordinance, with Councilman Ken Brass casting the lone “no” vote. Brass has steadfastly opposed the reapportionment plan because he feels it creates an unfair representation of new population figures compiled during the 2010 Census.

The special election will be to renew property tax millages for fire protection and drainage. The election, which would be held Oct. 22 during the general parish elections, is for a renewal of the millages for another 10 years.

Parish President Dale Hymel explained the drainage tax is for 2.98 mills and will be voted on parishwide, while the fire protection tax is for .74 mills and only applies to unincorporated areas. The towns of Gramercy and Lutcher will be excluded. He said the fire protection millage will go toward improvement of equipment and insurance ratings for the parish fire system.

In other action, the council authorized a request for proposals for a repair and retrofitting of a communication tower for the parish’s Department of Emergency Preparedness 911 Division.

Hymel said the 350-foot tower suffered damage from hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008. He said the parish wants to repair the tower and lower it to 190 feet to accommodate wind speed specifications.

The parish secured a grant last year through the Department of Homeland Security for construction of a new 400-foot tower in a separate location in the parish. He said the parish is still awaiting approval from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to begin construction.

Hymel added no work will begin on the old tower until the new one has been constructed and installed into the parish’s emergency system.

He said the old tower will be used as a backup tower when the new one is in place.